What crazy weather for March—cold one day, warm the next!! Our plants and animals are all getting confused!
At the March Mill Creek Towne Garden Club meeting, Montgomery County Master Gardener, Steve Robinson, will deliver a presentation on “Orchids.” Please plan to join us to learn more about these lovely plants. Look below for more information.
Date: March 28, 2017 @ 7:30 p.m. Location: Mill Creek Towne Elementary School Teacher’s Lounge Speaker: Steve Robinson Topic: Orchid Care Hostesses: Cathy Freel & Kathy Landkrohn
Here are some gardening tips, educational opportunities,and events for August. Events include the University of Maryland, Montgomery County Grow It Eat It Open House on Saturday, August 6th; Montgomery County Agricultural Fair on August 12–20, 2016; and the Little Bennett Great Outdoors Festival on August 20th!
Planning:
Check your local garden center for end-of-summer bargains.
It is harvest time and also a good time to start taking stock of what worked well for you this season and what didn’t.
Order garlic, onions, and shallots for fall planting.
Order spring-flowering bulbs to arrive for planting this fall.
Attend a county fair and enter some of your garden bounty.
This article provides a list of 10 native vines to attract wildlife in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Inspect for powdery mildew. If seen, prune back perennials to create needed circulation. Discard properly (i.e., not in your compost bin).
Renew your container plantings, which may be looking a bit ragged at this point. Pinch back overgrown plants. Pull out any spent ones and pop in some substitute annuals or mums. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going through early autumn.
Start seeds of pansies, calendula, flowering cabbage, kale, other fall annuals.
Weed and weed some more.
Pests to watch for: Aphids, spidermites, whiteflies
Diseases to watch for: powdery mildew, fungal leaf spot
The first week in August is the last week recommended to plant beans, peas, and carrots for fall.
Harvest leaves of herbs used in cooking (rosemary, basil, sage) in the early morning, for best flavor.
At the end of the month, begin planting cool-season vegetables (turnips, carrots, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, mustard, radish, and spinach ).
Preserve gourds and dry flowers for display in the fall.
Deadhead garlic chives before they go to seed. Makes a nice cut-flower.
Turn your compost pile and don’t let it dry out!
Pests to watch for: Squash vine borer.
Diseases to watch for: Powdery mildew, fungal, bacterial, viral diseases.
Here are some more fruit and vegetable gardening tips for August from UMD’s HGIC.
Lawns:
Over seeding may be done now through October.
Keep newly-seeded lawns well watered!
Check for mosquito breeding grounds. Dump out any water that sits stagnant for more than three days.
Cool season lawns go dormant in hot, dry weather – Do Not Water.
Diseases to watch for: dollar spot, brown patch and red thread
Pests to watch for: Grubs
See HGIC’s August Lawn Tipsfor more details.
Indoors/Houseplants:
Prune potted bougainvillea or hanging baskets that will overwater inside.
Bring Christmas cactus and poinsettias indoors if you took them out for the summer in preparation for holiday blooming. Fertilize them and put them where they’ll get just 10 hours’ bright light per day.
Monitor for insect problems.
Pests to watch for: Spidermites, mealybug, scale, aphids, squirrels, whitefly
See HGIC’s August Houseplants Tipsfor more tips.
Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips:
Switch your deer deterrent spray.
Keep birdfeeders and baths cleaned and replenished. Change water frequently to avoid mosquitoes.
See HGIC’s August Insect Tipsfor more details.
Watch for: rabbits, groundhogs, deer, moles, snakes, squirrels, and voles.
For more information on wildlife management and attracting wildlife see HGIC’s August Wildlife tips.
Source: University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) and the Washington Gardener.
?Save the date for these upcoming Summer events! Events include the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair on August 12–20, 2016, and the Little Bennett Great Outdoors Festival on August 20th!
University of Maryland, Montgomery County Grow It Eat It Open House
Saturday, August 6th
9am to 1pm (some programs start earlier/later)
Location: Agricultural History Farm Park
18400 Muncaster Rd, Derwood MD 20855
We are celebrating the year of the tomato!
We have an amazing line-up of speakers, demonstrations, children’s programs, garden projects, plant advice, tomato tasting, and inspiration. Stroll through our garden and get ideas of what to plant at home. Bring your plant and tomato problems to our two plant clinics.
Don’t forget to bring your tomatoes for the tomato tasting! There will be prizes for the prettiest, ugliest, and tastiest tomatoes!
Come purchase plants from vendors, including Chesapeake Natives, garden products, Fall vegetable plants, local honey and honey products, rain barrels, local pottery, and products for caring for chickens.
Grab your picnic blanket, bring your lunch (or purchase one from us at the event).
The event is free and does not require registration unless otherwise noted.
Children’s Programs All children are welcome.
Discover Flowers
Suggested for grades 4 & 5 Register
Discover Gardening
Suggested for grades 4 & 5 Register
Discover Trees
Suggested for Grades 6, 7, & 8 Register
The preliminary schedule of events can be found here:
School starts on August 30th so make sure you get some sun and fun before heading back to class!
Celebrate the outdoors at Little Bennett Great Outdoors Fest! This free family event features our new pedal carts, jumping pillow, tours of the yurts, along with hay rides, live music, S’mores, hikes and fun at Little Bennett Campground!
Get ideas on how to protect and enjoy our great outdoors from local organizations and retailers, conservation groups and Montgomery Parks. Little Bennett Campground features 91 campsites (including 3 yurts) just steps away from the more than 20 miles of trails at Little Bennett Regional Park!